Analysis: Weaker EV targets could cost UK consumers £3bn a year by 2030
An upcoming UK government consultation on weakening targets for electric vehicles (EVs) could cost consumers as much as £3bn a… The post Analysis: Weaker EV targets could cost UK consumers £3bn a year by 2030 appeared first on Carbon Brief .
A forthcoming UK government consultation on potentially weakening targets for electric vehicles (EVs) could incur significant costs for consumers by 2030, according to analysis by Carbon Brief. The weaker targets could necessitate importing 17 million additional barrels of oil annually, increasing net imports by 8%, and lead to a 2.5% rise in national emissions that year, the analysis suggests.
Following years of strong advocacy from parts of the automotive industry and despite the substantial savings for EV drivers, reports indicate a possible "watering down" of EV targets. Under current regulations, battery EVs – electric vehicles only powered by electricity – must comprise an increasingly larger proportion of new car sales in the UK.
This "zero-emission vehicles" (ZEV) mandate, initiated by the previous Conservative government, aims for 33% BEV sales in 2026, rising to 80% by 2030. Car manufacturers can employ "flexibilities" to help achieve their targets, effectively reducing the goal to an estimated 25% sales in 2026. Now, the Labour-led UK government, under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, is considering a reduction in the BEV target for 2030 to just 50%, with options for 60% or 70%.
If the ZEV mandate is relaxed to 50% sales by 2030, accompanied by increased use of "flexibilities," the NGO Transport & Environment estimates up to 3 million fewer BEVs on UK roads by 2030. Previous Carbon Brief research found that BEVs are around £1,100 cheaper to operate per year than a gasoline car, largely due to lower fuel costs.
Overall, BEVs are more than £1,000 per year cheaper to own than either petrol cars or plug-in hybrids (which can run on petrol or electricity). Carbon Brief's analysis indicates that a weaker ZEV mandate could impose an extra £3 billion in annual ownership expenses by 2030 for UK drivers. Such a weakened mandate could jeopardize billions of pounds in committed investments, including EV charging infrastructure and battery supply chains, warns BusinessGreen.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMRT) maintains that its members are spending "billions... on discounts, finance incentives and marketing support," suggesting that "natural" EV demand is below the level necessary to meet the current ZEV mandate. However, this claim remains disputed.
Written by urgent.news from Carbon Brief's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
